MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. Ukraine’s foreign ministry has called on Hungary and Slovakia to engage in a constructive dialogue following their warnings that they will halt electricity supplies to Ukraine if they don’t resume Russian oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline.

"We call on the governments of Hungary and Slovakia for constructive cooperation and responsible behavior," it said in a statement posted on its Telegram channel.

The ministry slammed these intentions as "ultimatums and blackmail." "Such actions <…> are provocative and irresponsible and threaten the energy security of the entire region," it added.

Supplies of Russian oil to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline across Ukraine were suspended in late January. Budapest insists that Ukraine is blocking oil supplies from Russia solely for political reasons. In response to blocking the Druzhba pipeline, Hungary halted supplies of diesel fuel to Ukraine, blocked the European Union’s 90-billion-euro loan and warned that it would halt electricity supplies to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also warned that his country’s government would halt electricity supplies to Ukraine from February 23 if Ukraine doesn’t resume oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline.